Hyderabad Kingsmen registered their first win of Pakistan Super League 11, defeating Karachi Kings by four wickets at National Bank Stadium in Karachi on Saturday.
The victory marked the Kingsmen's first in their debut PSL appearance and came after four consecutive defeats against Lahore Qalandars, Quetta Gladiators, Multan Sultans and Peshawar Zalmi, respectively.
Hyderabad Kingsmen got off to a spirited start to the pursuit as their captain Marnus Labuschagne played a blistering 26-run cameo off just 10 deliveries until falling victim to Khushdil Shah in the third over with 36 runs on the board.
Wicketkeeper batter Usman Khan joined opener Maaz Sadaqat in the middle, and the duo ensured retaining the momentum by knitting a quickfire 60-run off just 30 deliveries before both perished in quick succession.
Sadaqat remained the top-scorer for the Kingsmen with a blazing 37 off 29 deliveries with the help of four fours and two sixes, while Usman chipped in with a 13-ball 27, featuring three fours and two sixes.
Their back-to-back dismissals sparked a collapse, which saw the Kingsmen losing two more wickets of Saim Ayub (six) and Glenn Maxwell (two) and were thus reduced to 112/5 in 11.4 overs.
No.7 batter Irfan then took charge of the Kingsmen's pursuit and shared an important 27-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Kusal Perera, who contributed with a 14-ball 17.
Irfan was then joined by Hassan Khan in the middle, and the duo displayed nerves of steel to propel the Kingsmen to a much-craved triumph in the final over with an unbeaten 50-run partnership.
Hassan dominated the match-winning partnership by contributing 33 off just 16 deliveries, while Irfan remained unbeaten with a 20-ball 29.
Abbas Afridi was the pick of the bowlers for the Kings, taking two wickets for 30 runs in his four overs, while Hasan Ali, Khushdil Shah, Adam Zampa and Salman Ali Agha made one scalp apiece.
Hassan was declared Player of the Match after a decisive 33-run knock off 16 balls.
Kingsmen captain Marnus Labuschagne's decision to field first backfired as the home side piled up 188/8 in their 20 overs.
The Kings, however, got off to a dismal start to their innings as they lost Reeza Hendricks (two) in the first over with just two runs on the board.
Following the early stutter, Salman Ali Agha (24) joined Muhammad Waseem in the middle, and the duo batted sensibly to add an important 45-run partnership for the second wicket until the former fell victim to Hunain Shah in the final over of the batting powerplay.
Hunain struck again in his next over, trapping Waseem lbw, who walked back after scoring 25 off 19, as the Kings slipped to 59/3 in 7.2 overs.
Following the back-to-back dismissals, youngsters Saad Baig and Azam Khan took the reins of the Kings' batting charge and added valuable runs in the middle by putting together an anchoring 69-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
Kingsmen captain Labuschagne broke the budding stand in his first over by dismissing Azam, who made 26 off 19 deliveries with the help of two sixes and a four.
His dismissal, however, turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the Kings as it paved the way for stand-in captain Moeen Ali to walk out and bat at No.6, and the left-handed batter turned the game on its head with belligerent hitting.
The left-handed batter played a blistering 44-run cameo off just 16 deliveries, smashing five sixes and a four until eventually falling victim to Mohammad Ali in the penultimate over.
Baig, on the other hand, brought up his maiden PSL half-century in the same over and retired out after top-scoring with a 37-ball 53, studded with six fours.
Hunain was the standout bowler for the Kingsmen, taking three wickets for just 19 runs in his four overs, followed by Ali with two, while Labuschagne could claim one.
